A Trip to Mitad del Mundo

Ciudad Mitad del Mundo is located in San Antonio Parish of the canton of Quito that is 26 km in the north side of the center of Quito. The middle of the world monument is perhaps the most famous attraction in Quito, Ecuador. Here you can stand with one foot in the Northern and Southern hemisphere. It is an amazing experience.

It Provides Great View of the Surroundings

You may take an elevator to reach the top of the monument in order to have a great view of the surroundings of the countryside. There also is an Ethnographic museum and Planetarium to view.

Where the monument is located

The monument is located around 14 miles north side of Quito near San Antonio de Pichincha, Mitad el Mundo. It can be reached by car, public transportation as well as a taxi. It is usually open for public from 9 am to 6 pm. It is usually crowded during the high season of June and remains so through September. Locals also come here on weekends. So it is fully packed on weekends. In case you want a solo photo op, weekends are not the best days. Choose some other day and come at the start of the day or the end of the day to complete the photo op. There are less people at these times. But if you want to enjoy a boisterous holiday, weekends are the best days. There is folk music and dance shows as well.

It is not quite the Middle of the World

The monument is not located exactly on the equator line. The location was later on found to be around 262 yards towards the North side of the line at Mitad del Mundo. You need to check out your GPS device to reach the exact location. You will have to go to Inti Nan Solar Museum that is at the distance of around five minutes if you go by car.

Some interesting facts

On this place you can see how to balance an egg on a nail. You will see that a kilo weighs less at this spot than in any other place.

Other places to visit

You may visit El Panecillo, Cayambe, Cotopaxi Volcano and Iglesia La Compania de Jesus ( the Church of the Society of Jesus). Moreover you can enjoy the following:

Souvenir shops, restaurants and bars located on the site.

You can avail yourself of roundtrip tour so that you don’t have to worry about your trip back.

There is usually a huge crowd, and you may have to stand in line there.

Some tips for the trip

You may start from visiting the miniature model of the colonial architecture of this historic center. There are temples, public buildings and plazas. In 1989 the National Institute of Cultural Heritage declared it as a Cultural Asset of Ecuador. With bucket pass you can enjoy a carefree and comfortable trip of this amazingly beautiful and stunning site.